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Books for Kids Only

Entering any market in China can be a formidable challenge, but not the least the publishing industry.

Rising to this challenge, with a business model and products that work in the China market, is the goal of the Poplar Kid's Republic Picture Book Shop (Poplar), which opened on October 29, 2005, across from the China World Hotel on the western side of the Jianwai SOHO complex on Jianguomenwai Dajie in Beijing.

Beijing Poplar Culture Project Company Limited （北京蒲蒲兰文化发展有限公司) is a joint venture 90 percent owned by the Poplar Publishing Company Limited of Japan and a local investor in Beijing. It retails books and toys targeting the Japanese-, English- and Chinese-speaking children's book and educational toy market.

General Manager Ikuko Ishikawa, who has resided in Beijing since 1989 and who worked for many years for either the Japanese-language section of the Foreign Languages Publishing House or China Pictorial magazine, said the Poplar venture is somewhat unusual, because Poplar in Japan is a children's book publisher, not a bookstore owner.

"We opened a bookstore because publishing and distribution in China is so restricted. We took the time to open this joint venture to do market research and to develop the picture book market until we can overcome these problems in this industry."

Poplar, which entered the China market in 2003, offers imported children's books published around the world, but especially those from Japan, the United States and Europe. Some are available in their original languages only, some in translations to traditional or simplified Chinese (often translated in Taiwan or on the Chinese mainland) and some are bilingual in Japanese and Chinese or English and Chinese.

The store's hundreds of titles include famous authors and illustrators such as Bill Martin Jr. (writer) and Eric Carle (illustrator) of the United States, Yoshiwo Nakae (writer) and Noriko Ueno (illustrator) of Japan, the Miss Maisey series by Lucy Cousins of the United Kingdom and books such as No Roses for Harry by Gene Zion (writer) and Margaret Bloy Graham (pictures).

Books range widely in cost, from 280 yuan (US$34.70) for 但愿我是人偶 (rough trans. I Wish I were a Doll or Danyuan wo shi renou), a Taiwan-translated book from Belgium, to 29.80 yuan (US$3.69) for Guess How Much I Love You （猜猜我有多爱你 Caicai wo you duo ai ni）from the 可爱的鼠小弟 (Keai de shuxiaodi) series, but there are also collectible and educational toys.

But there's more to Poplar Beijing than book and toy selling. The store also has activity areas designed to stimulate children's interest in and enjoyment with reading.

"During our 'readings' on the weekends, children and their parents can share a multimedia reading experience. The readings include video presentations and puppet shows," Ishikawa said. "We strong encourage parents to participate in these readings."

She said the facility can handle as many as 30 children for arts and crafts activities, up to 50 for readings only, but she said, "It's better if we have a mix of about 15 children and 15 parents." Sixteen such events were held at the store since the store opened.

Ishikawa is learning to surmount all kinds of obstacles in her operation, from finicky parents, to language difficulties to business realities in China.

"Some Chinese parents, for instance, don't appreciate the picture books. They see the small characters on a large page and tend to regard this as a waste of paper. But when they see that the children understand the ideas at play in the pictures, they buy the books anyway."

One fan base has turned up in the form of Chinese parents who have lived abroad, who want their children to be exposed to foreign influences, and some adult Chinese English- or Japanese-language readers who like picture books because it helps them understand the relatively simple concepts portrayed in children's story books.

The store's reading and arts and crafts activities sometime present serious language problems. "When we have children who speak Japanese, English, Chinese and perhaps some other languages in the same room, which language should we use? We've found that we can let the children communicate among themselves; they find a way."

But, as with any business, the store's profitability is a major concern of Ishikawa.

"There is tremendous potential in this market, and we expect many of the restrictions we face, particularly with publishing and distribution, but there's still going to be some difficulties. This is a new field for foreign companies."

Ishikawa said that because of Chinese governmental regulations, foreign original edition books are imported by the China Publications Import and Export Corporation. Afterwards, they can be placed on the store’s shelves.

"That's why our prices are a little more than normal. And we don't have as many books as we'd like."

Unlike some foreign businesspeople in Beijing, who betray a bit of frustration when speaking of regulatory obstacles in their business activities, Ishikawa seemed nonplussed.

"When I was asked by my boss in Tokyo how long it would take to enter the China publishing field completely, I said, "If you can't stand losses for ten years, it's better not to enter the China market."

Poplar Kid's Republic Picture Book Shop

Room 1362, Tower 13

Jianwai SOHO

No. 39 Middle Street, East Third Ring Road

Chaoyang District, Beijing 100022

Tel: +86 10 5869 3032

Fax: +86 10 5869 3037

E-mail: poplar@163bj.com

WWW: www.poplar.com.cn